700,000 march in London against Brexit

Anti-Brexit march

Hundreds of thousands of protesters opposed to Britain's impending exit from the European Union marched through central London on Saturday, October 20, 2018, demanding a new referendum and to have a say on the government's final Brexit deal with the EU.

An estimated 700,000 people took part in the "People's Vote March."

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Anti-Brexit march

Organizers say another public vote is needed because new facts have come out about the costs and complexity of Britain's exit from the bloc since voters narrowly chose "leave" in a 2016 referendum.

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Anti-Brexit march

"What's clear is that the only options on the table now from the prime minister are a bad Brexit deal, or no deal whatsoever," London Mayor Sadiq Khan (pictured) told the BBC. "That's a million miles away from what was promised 2 1/2 years ago."

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Anti-Brexit march

Mayor Khan said Saturday's protest was a "march for the future" for young Britons, including those who were too young to vote in Britain's 2016 Brexit referendum, when those who favored leaving the EU won narrowly by 52 percent.

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Anti-Brexit march

Mayor Khan, from the opposition Labour Party, has previously backed mounting calls for a fresh referendum so the public can have a say on whether they accept Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal or choose to stay in the EU. May, the leader of Britain's Conservatives, has ruled out another public vote on the subject.

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Anti-Brexit march

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, but negotiations over the divorce have been plagued by disagreements, particularly over the future border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It will be the U.K.'s only land border with the EU after Brexit, for Ireland is part of the EU and Northern Ireland is part of the U.K.

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Anti-Brexit march

A Banksy-inspired poster is seen at an anti-Brexit demonstration and march through central London, October 20, 2018.

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Anti-Brexit march

Protesters participating in an anti-Brexit demonstration and march through central London, October 20, 2018.

Credit: SIMON DAWSON/REUTERS

Anti-Brexit march

There are also growing fears of a "no-deal" British exit, which could create chaos at the borders and in the EU and the British economies.

Prime Minister May, speaking at an inconclusive EU summit in Brussels this week, said she would consider extending a proposed 21-month post-Brexit transition period for the U.K - one that could keep Britain aligned to EU rules for more than two years after its March departure.

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Anti-Brexit march

"This week's fresh chaos and confusion over Brexit negotiations has exposed how even the best deal now available will be a bad one for Britain," said Andrew Adonis, a Labour member of the House of Lords. "Voters will neither forgive nor forget if (lawmakers) allow this miserable Brexit to proceed without people being given the final say."

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Anti-Brexit march

Democrats in the U.S. Senate, investigating Russia's meddling in America's elections, have revealed that there was also widespread social media interference by the Russians on Facebook and Twitter aimed at the 2016 Brexit referendum. Research by the University of Edinburgh showed that hundreds of Russian-run Twitter accounts at a St. Petersburg troll farm were actively posting about Brexit and seeking to sow discord among Brits ahead of the vote.

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Anti-Brexit march

Protesters participating in an anti-Brexit demonstration carry an effigy of Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May as they march through central London, October 20, 2018.

Credit: SIMON DAWSON/REUTERS

Anti-Brexit march

Protesters participating in an anti-Brexit demonstration march through central London, October 20, 2018.

Credit: SIMON DAWSON/REUTERS

Anti-Brexit march

Protesters participating in an anti-Brexit demonstration march through central London, October 20, 2018.

Credit: SIMON DAWSON/REUTERS

Anti-Brexit march

Stickers are seen stuck onto the Cabinet Office exterior door during an anti-Brexit march through central London, October 20, 2018.

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Anti-Brexit march

Stickers are seen stuck onto the Cabinet Office name-plate during an anti-Brexit march through central London, October 20, 2018.

Credit: SIMON DAWSON/REUTERS

Anti-Brexit march

Protesters participating in an anti-Brexit demonstration march through central London, October 20, 2018.